1. Technical Field
The present application relates to a rotary or linear beverage bottle cleaning machine configured to clean beverage bottles disposed upside-down which machine includes apparatus for cleaning rotary or linear beverage bottle cleaning machine in a filling plant and rotary or linear container cleaning machine configured to clean containers with apparatus for cleaning the container cleaning machine.
2. Background Information
Background information is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily admit that subsequently mentioned information and publications are prior art.
Some apparatuses are for the upside-down cleaning of bottles. Similar devices are widely used in existing installations.
Similar devices are known from actual practice and are for the cleaning and/or sterilization of a rinsing machine for bottles. For this purpose, a rinsing cap that is open on one side can be placed on the respective nozzle. This process can also be motorized and performed by means of a manipulator.
The cleaning of containers, and for example the cleaning of bottles before they are filled, involves removing dust, dirt, plastic particles, etc. from the bottles. For this purpose, the bottles can be placed in an upside down position and while the bottles or containers are in this upside-down position the interior of the bottles or the interior of the containers is cleaned or “rinsed,” as this process is called in the technical jargon, using a rinsing fluid. The upside-down position of the bottles or containers essentially guarantees or promotes that the (gas or liquid) disinfecting/cleaning agent that is injected will subsequently be discharged from the respective container or bottles completely under the effect of gravity.
For this purpose, the disinfecting/cleaning agent in question is generally sprayed or injected into the interior of the container by means of a nozzle provided on the top of the spray tube and is likewise circulated along the bottom of the container, across the container walls and finally the mouth of the container, from which it exits the respective container or bottle. To collect the disinfecting/cleaning agent which now comprises contaminating particles or contaminated particles, for example, a collecting basin is generally provided underneath the spray tube.
An increasing number of bottling processes have recently incorporated cold-aseptic bottling. As part of this process, and for the cleaning of the container handling or filling equipment, a disinfecting/cleaning agent is used which not only removes the above mentioned miscellaneous particles or dirt from the surfaces of the container treatment machines, but also kills any germs that may be present under some circumstances. This process is generally conducted at relatively low temperatures (room temperature), although the present application naturally also includes treatment with live steam, for example.
During the cleaning of the plant, in order to wet the equipment no more than absolutely necessary or desired with the used, not altogether hygienically acceptable cleaning agent, a cover device is now also provided as a replacement for the bottle or container. In other words, the cover device is used alternatively as a replacement for a bottle or a container during the equipment cleaning. The spray tube is operated as usual, and dispenses the disinfecting/cleaning agent used for the cleaning of the plant, although under these conditions the disinfecting/cleaning agent does not get into the interior of the containers, but strikes the cover device, and from there it also strikes the spray tube, its nozzle and any optional support and pivoting devices for the container or the bottle. Consequently, these parts of the plant are cleaned or disinfected, whereby in turn the disinfecting/cleaning agent that may be contaminated with the potential dirt particles and/or germs is collected from the collecting basin which is located underneath. The feed or drain lines of the rinsing medium are simultaneously or substantially simultaneously cleaned or disinfected by this process.
To transfer the cover apparatus from its idle position into an operating position in which it functions as a container replacement, for example for the circulation of the disinfecting/cleaning agent in the course of cleaning the equipment, a manual pivoting process is initiated. This pivoting process has the basic problem that any manual intervention (either repeated or for the first time) can introduce germs into the system or cleaning system. The cleaning routine by means of the cover apparatus, is thereby negated or at least adversely affected, for example in systems for cold-aseptic bottling, where a time-consuming cleaning procedure is required and/or desired on account of this manual intervention. This is one of the disadvantages eliminated, restricted, and/or minimized by the present application.